Legend heading into twilight, but his watch is going backwards.
'Tank' Choi Kyung-ju (54) made history again. Choi Kyung-ju recorded a 2-under 70 in the final round of the Senior Open (total prize money of $2.85 million) held at Canusty Golf Links (par 72, 7,402 yards) in Canusty, Scotland, England on the 29th (Korea time). Choi, who shot 10-under 278 overall, beat Richard Green of Australia by two strokes to win the championship.
The Senior Open is a major competition co-hosted by the PGA Tour Champions and the European Legends Tour, a senior tour that can be played over the age of 50. Choi Kyung-ju is the first Korean to win the championship. He is the second Asian player after Noboru Sugai of Japan in 2002.
APYonhap News
APYonhap News
Choi Kyung-ju, who took the lead by one stroke ahead of Richard Green in the final round, struggled early, losing one stroke each in the fifth and sixth holes (par 4) following a bogey in the first hole (par 4). In the end, he was two strokes behind Richard Green and gave up the lead, and Paul Broadhurst (England) was pushed up to third place.
However, Choi made a counterattack in the second half. He made his first birdie on the 9th hole (par 4) and made a 5-meter birdie putt on the 10th hole (par 4). After catching a tap-in birdie at the 12th hole (par 5), he added a birdie again by putting a tee shot next to the hole 1m at the 13th hole (par 3). Choi Kyung-ju, who quickly took the lead by three strokes, got on the green with two shots at the 14th hole (par 5), then scored an 8-meter eagle putt to seal the victory. He lost one shot on the 18th hole (par 4), but the game was already decided.
With this victory, Choi Kyung-ju won 447,800 dollars in prize money, ranking fifth in the prize money rankings. In addition, he will be able to stand on the stage with the world's best history again for the first time in 11 years since 2014 by winning the right to participate in the DeOpen next year.
APYonhap News
APYonhap News
It's a meaningful win in many ways.
Choi Kyung-ju, who won the first Korean PGA Tour victory and the most wins (8 wins), failed to relieve his regret of winning a major tournament in the end. I finally quenched my major thirst on the senior tour, which has entered the senior stage since 2020.
Even after entering the senior stage, Choi's skills are comparable to those of his juniors. On May 19, his 54th birthday, he won a dramatic come-from-behind victory at the SK Telecom Open of the KPGA (Korea Professional Golf) Tour, breaking the record of the oldest winner of the KPGA Tour. In this competition, where the best senior players from the U.S. and Europe gathered, they are entering their second heyday by winning the top.
